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Friday, March 28, 2014

TJ WeeksBlurb: Allison and her five friends take a ski vacation after graduating from high school to Switzerland. The trip is made up of fun times in a little Switzerland town till they run into hell. Abducted into the caves of the snowy mountains. Tortured daily in ways you'll never forget for information thought to be known. Channel 7 News makes headway for these high school graduates. What doesn't haunt your dreams will surely haunt their own. This book is full of suspense, thriller and action with a twist. Will Allison and her friends make it out alive or will the trouble they find drag them into the depths of hell? (Taken from Goodreads)Genre: Thriller/suspense

Review: This book had promise and I think that was one of the most disappointing things. There was so much this story could have been, but it wasn't. We start with a group of friends who go out of country on a ski vacation, the characters fall flat there's a lot of pointless talk. This is not the age group that are typically in adult books, they think about nothing other than relationships and have no real personalities to them. I have no sense of who they are or why I should care if they are kidnapped. (Don't get me wrong, it is always sad when someone is kidnapped, but you need to make me feel something for these characters.) They get mixed up in a terrorist situation, where the terrorist thinks that they are spies. Should be pretty heart pound and edge of the seat action...not really.

We have torture scenes (including rape when it comes to the woman), I had a hard time understanding exactly what was going on with a couple of them and felt that they could have been better executed. As time moves on we go from the girls having paranoia and what should have been twists in the plot line were poorly written and implemented. The book had plenty of potential as far as plot, but it was disappointing to me. The book even had three alternative endings...that really did nothing for me. A lot of tell and no show, head hopping, flat characters, confusing time/scene jumps, I feel that the author could have done much more to polish up this book.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

There are writers who claim that there's no such thing as writer's block, but then later will tell you they are in a slump and can't write. Sometimes it is because they write so much in a day/week/year that they get burt out, other times it's caused by nothing that has to do with writing, and other times it's because of doubt. No matter the cause or what you refer to it as, something will block you at some point. I'm in that point right now, I know what's causing it and it's an uncontrollable factor, but I know I can't just sit here and stare at a black page. No. I go through different things that will get the words, no matter how bad, flowing. Since I know I'm not the only person with this problem I decided to tell you how I deal with the block.

1) Take a hot shower. That sounds strange I know, but the heat helps clear my mind from the stressed of the day and allow me to focus on what needs to be done. It helps relax me, if I'm relaxed I can work.

2) Work in my note book instead of on the computer. There's something a little less intimidating about a loved notebook than a glowing computer screen. Be it brain storming, hand writing out a scene, or just brain dumping, it helps.

3) Brain dumping: writing, drawing, anything that represents what is currently occupying my mind. This is something I do when I'm stressed. Worries, fears, stresses, hopes, grocery lists....all kinds of things come out during this time.

4) Set small goals. 500 words. Simple to hit. 500 is better than 0.

5) Sprints. Do nothing but write for a certain amount of time, I normally do this with other writers and we compare word counts after.

6) Music. Enough said.

Remember, getting the words down is the first step, then you can focus on editing and polishing up. So no matter what, get some type of progress done during your dedicated writing time/days. Blocks will happen, but you can move past them.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Blurb: Renee’s life had been normal until the shadows reappeared and the legendary stone was sent to her. As the arrival drags her further into the paranormal world, the last thing Renee expects is to be swept off her feet by a brooding werewolf.

Yet Coran captures her heart and attention. Small problem—he doesn't want a mate. Coran still suffers

from the loss of his first mate, but when Renee is attacked by shifters he is forced to protect her at all costs. Things heat up when he realizes fate has wickedly granted him a second chance at love. With the war causing the body count to rise, now is not the ideal time to find a mate.

The Circle is becoming desperate and something has Lucius worried which means trouble for his followers. It's a dance between danger and fate in this second installment of the Dark War Chronicles.
Today we have Renee from Dance in the Moonlight describing the ten things she has recently learned since becoming part of Lucius' Territory. Welcome Renee!

Renee: First off, thank you to Mia and Alexandra for letting
me take over the blog today! SO! Lucius and Coran are busy elsewhere, so I
thought I’d come over her and share a few things! Ten things that I’ve learned
since learning about the supernatural world and joining Lucius’ territory
(Spoiler free, of course.)

1) Lucius doesn’t understand the need for human
tradition…this means a fight when it comes to the holidays. Let me tell you, he
does not indulge me as much as Coran does.

2) Not all werewolves are cute and cuddly, actually I’m
pretty sure the only one who won’t eat me is Coran. Derrik scares the crap out
of me.

4) Orion and Coran don’t cook, it’s a skill I’ve had to
acquire. They do, however, eat enough for an army.

5) Not everything that is dangerous lives in the night. I’ve
learned there are plenty of things in the daylight, not just werewolves or
shifters either. Demons, witches (good and bad), Fae, and pretty much whatever
else you can think of.

6) Self-defense is a great excuse to try to beat Coran up
and I’m pretty sure he just lets me win.

A.L. Kessler is a paranormal romance author living in
beautiful Colorado Springs, CO. When she’s not at beck and call of the
household—made up of her cats, dog, daughter and husband—she can be found hard
at work on her next novel. In those rare moments of free time, she can be found
playing video games, crafting, or reading.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Synopsis: Nadia and Anabella head down to Houston,
Texas, for what they thought would be a relaxing vacation. Nadia could work on
her travel news articles for her boss in Cedar Rapids while Anabella caught a
few rays of sunshine. Or that was the plan. Little did they know what trouble
lurked inside the luxurious hotel nestled in the center of downtown Houston.

When Carlisle Ali introduces Anabella to
his friend and brother-in-arms, Carter Jackson, all hell breaks loose for the
Mavericks. Trouble never has a problem finding Nadia when she is out and about
looking for a story. Be it Cedar Rapids or Houston, it doesn’t matter. Nadia
finds a way to cause chaos and

disaster.

What happens when Mr. A and Mr. J go out
on a hunt for the man who is terrorizing people along I-45, the interstate
running through the heart of Houston? More importantly, what happens to Nadia
and Mr. A when they are forced to face the feelings that have been boiling
between them for over a year now?

Review: I'm still feeling cozy after this book. I love sweet, make you feel good, books with a bit of a thrill to them. The book opens up with a slap in the face (not literally, but still...) and I was sucked in. I had to now how Nadia ended up in that situation. I love the relationship that Nadia has with her sister Ana and it reminds me of the banter that I've had with my own sisters now mix that with Mr. A and Mr. J? Yep, I giggled through most the book. I'm in love with Carlisle and Carter, just am. I love the way Ms. Nemer created them, they are men who are't sorry for what they do—kill people. Yep. No really, let me change my way for you romance here. Her descriptions is great so that you get a senses of Houston and grounds the plot a little more.

Ms. Nemer manages to create a HEA without the need for a lot of the theatrics. I still have the warm and fuzzies and goofy grin that I had when I finished reading this book. There's a bit of mystery to it, a lot of sexy personality in the men. No sex, but it doesn't need it. That's not the focus of this character driven book. I can't wait for the next one! If you want a quick, quirky read, pick up this series, Ms. Nemer will not disappoint!

Below you will fine a contest for a contest for a copy of Maverick: The Highway. Good Luck!

I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

5 out of 5 stars*

*Originally was going to be 4.5 but when I woke up still thinking about this book, I decided it was worthy of being bumped up.

About the Author: Ashley, also
known as Niki Becker, is married and lives in Houston with her husband Tony.
They have two dogs, Toto and Doogie. They have been together for over 9 years
and he brings her more joy than she could ever imagine as a child. She loves to
read and has been hooked on the romance & mystery genres ever since her
lifelong best friend gave her "Ashes to Ashes' by Tami Hoag to read when
they were younger.

Ashley finds
her strength through her family, especially her parents. They always support
her in life; they push her to strive for greatness. There once was a motto that
Ashley heard in her youth through her Taekwondo life 'Reach for the Stars' and
that is what Ashley has always done. It was through her upbringing that the
values Ashley has and displays come from. With her parents always cheering her
on in life she was able to grow up having faith in herself and her ability to
conquer the world.